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Urge Incontinence

Sometimes referred to as " overactive bladder" or "spastic bladder," urge incontinence is an involuntary loss of urine that usually occurs when a person has a strong, sudden need to urinate. Urge incontinence is not a disease. Rather, it is a sign that there is an underlying problem.

What Causes Urge Incontinence?

Urge incontinence is caused by abnormal bladdercontractions. Normally, strong muscles called sphincters control the flow of urine from the bladder. With urge incontinence, the muscles of an "overactive" bladder contract with enough force to override the sphincter muscles of the urethra, which is the tube that takes urine out of the body.

The bladder may experience abnormal contractions for the following reasons:

How Is Urge Incontinence Treated?

Urge incontinence can be treated with a variety of behavioral treatments, medications, electrical stimulation, or with surgery. Sometimes a combination of treatments is used.

Behavioral Treatments for Urge Incontinence

One way of dealing with urge incontinence is to simply change some of your behaviors. For instance, if you can anticipate when your bladder is overactive and may be contracting abnormally, you can take action to avoid any mishaps or urine leakage.